This invention relates to new organic compounds useful as pharmaceutical agents. The novel compounds of the present invention are antiatherosclerotic agents capable of ameliorating atherosclerosis by counteracting the formation or development of atheromatous lesions in the arterial wall of mammals. The invention also relates to the chemical synthesis of the novel compounds disclosed herein. In addition, the invention pertains to novel pharmaceutical compositions for the utilization of these compounds in the treatment of disease in mammals. Further, the invention contemplates methods for treating atherosclerosis in a manner designed to prevent, arrest, or reverse the course of the disease.
Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis characterized by lipid accumulation in and thickening of the arterial walls of both medium- and large-sized arteries. Arterial walls are thereby weakened, and the elasticity and effective internal size of the artery is decreased. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of coronary artery disease and is of great medical importance since the occlusion of medium- and large-sized arteries diminishes the supply of blood to vital organs such as the heart muscles and the brain. The sequelae to atherosclerosis include ischemic heart disease, heart failure, life-threatening arrythmias, senility, and stroke.
The fact that cholesterol is a major component of atherosclerotic lesions or plagues has been known for more than 100 years. Various researchers have studied the role of cholesterol in lesion formation and development and also, more importantly, whether lesion formation can be prevented or lesion development arrested or reversed. Atheromatous lesions have now been shown [Adams, et al., Atherosclerosis, 13, 429 (1974)] to contain a greater quantity of esterified as opposed to unesterified cholesterol than the surrounding undiseased arterial wall. The intracellular esterification of cholesterol with fatty acids is catalyzed by the enzyme "Fatty acyl CoA: cholesterol acyl transferase" or ACAT, and the accumulation and storage of cholesterol esters in the arterial wall is associated with increased levels of this enzyme [Hashimoto and Dayton, Atherosclerosis, 28, 447 (1977)]. In addition, cholesterol esters are removed from cells at a slower rate than unesterified cholesterol [Bondjers and Bjorkerud, Atherosclerosis, 15, 273 (1972) and 22, 379 (1975)]. Thus, inhibition of the ACAT enzyme would diminish the rate of cholesterol esterification, decrease the accumulation and storage of cholesterol esters in the arterial wall, and prevent or inhibit the formation and development of atheromatous lesions. The compounds of the present invention are very potent inhibitors of the ACAT enzyme. Thus, these compounds are useful for controlling and normalizing the cholesterol ester content of mammalian arterial walls. In contrast to the serum hypocholesterolemic agents which are well known in the art to merely lower cholesterol in the blood stream, the compounds of this invention decrease the accumulation and storage of cholesterol in the arterial walls of mammals. Further, the compounds of this invention inhibit the formation or development of atherosclerotic lesions in mammals. The exact mechanism by which these compounds exhibit this antiatherosclerotic activity is not known and the invention should not be construed as limited to any particular mechanism of antiatherosclerotic action.